Fair and free trade for all
Comment by HERA Director Dr Wolfgang Scholz Now Donald Trump has officially taken over as the 45th President of the United States, many of us Kiwis (particularly those in business) think New Zealand is well and truly Trumped. But is it really all doom and gloom for the future of our nation when it comes to dealing with America? One thing we can say with any certainty is there will be many outcomes affecting us – on the one hand, it’s likely our free trade ambitions will get a hit and lead to reduced access to some very big markets, on the other, it signals an opportunity for local manufacturing to respond proactively to emerging policies with our own political response, to arm local manufacturing with the scope to grow and make a bigger contribution to our economy. …it will all be about striking the right balance between growing a competitive economy which can continue to export successfully into the free trade space, and protecting ourselves against unfair trade… In the end – HERA believes it will all be about striking the right balance between growing a competitive economy which can continue to export successfully into the free trade space, and protecting ourselves against unfair trade such as dumped products and promptly matching new emerging tariff barriers with our own tariff increases. The lay of the land through ‘Trump’ tinted glasses On the edge of our seats, we’ve watched the Trump empire come to power – demonstrating a real support for change in the ‘greatest nation in the world’, where its current approach is a decided move away from New Zealand’s policy that more free trade is needed if we’re to be a prosperous country. So what is the right tactic to pursue in the quest for economic success and a […]